Two held, cops look for SP worker who hired bouncers to 'guard' tomatoes
Varanasi (UP), Jul 10: Police have arrested a vegetable shop owner and his son over a video in which a Samajwadi Party worker is seen with two "bouncers" purportedly hired to "protect" high-priced tomatoes.
The SP worker Ajay Fauji -- who had portrayed himself as the shop owner is absconding, Ashwani Pandey, the SHO of Varanasi's Lanka police station, said on Monday.
Jagnarayan Yadav and his son Vikas Yadav were arrested Sunday for "defamation", police said. On video, the SP worker had claimed that he deployed two bouncers to deal with customers haggling over the price of tomatoes.
The SP has been attacking the BJP government over the rising prices of the commodity.
Fauzi had cut a tomato-shaped cake and distributed tomatoes to mark party president Akhilesh Yadav's birthday recently.
Police said a case has been registered under sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
On Sunday, Akhilesh Yadav tweeted over the detention of one of the vegetable seller who he said was merely drawing the attention of the government on an issue of public interest.
In another tweet in Hindi on Monday, the SP chief said there was "no space" for satire and sarcasm in the country.
वाराणसी में महंगाई जैसे जनहित के विषय पर सरकार का ध्यानाकर्षण करनेवाले सब्ज़ीवाले को थाने में बिठाना कहाँ तक उचित है। इस समाचार के फैलने से प्रदेशभर के समस्त सब्ज़ी विक्रेता आक्रोशित हो रहे हैं। उस सब्ज़ीवाले को तुरंत छोड़ा जाए।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 9, 2023
जिस देश-प्रदेश में स्वस्थ व्यंग्य और कटाक्ष के लिए स्थान न हो वहाँ समझ लेना चाहिए, दूसरों को डरानेवाली सत्ता, स्वयं डरी हुई है। ‘मदर ऑफ़ डेमोक्रेसी’ की बात इस माहौल में बेमानी जुमला लगती है। देश के प्रमुखतम संसदीय क्षेत्र में लोकतंत्र का ये हाल है तो बाकी देश में क्या होगा।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 10, 2023
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Cong govt ended ‘darkness’ in 11 months of rule in T’gana: CM Revanth Reddy rebuts PM Modi's remark
Hyderabad (PTI): During the last 11 months, the Congress government in Telangana has reversed an air of gloom and despair under the previous BRS regime and ended the "darkness", Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Saturday.
He was responding to a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that under Congress rule developmental trajectory and fiscal health is turning from bad to worse in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
“I am happy to clarify several misconceptions and factual errors in your statements about my state and our government," Reddy said in his post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday in a series of posts said the Congress stands "badly exposed" in front of people for promising to them what the party knows it will never be able to deliver.
“Every promise made by us to people is a sacred commitment for us. In the last 11 months, we have reversed an air of gloom & despair under BRS, and ended the darkness. Like a morning sun, Telangana is now Rising,” Reddy said in the post addressed to Modi.
Within two days of taking charge, the Telangana government fulfilled its first and second promise - free bus travel for women across all government buses, and a healthcare and hospitalisation cover of 10 lakhs under Rajiv Aarogyasree, the CM pointed out.
Even before completion of first year of rule, the Congress government has implemented India's largest ever, state-level farmer loan waiver of Rs 18,000 crore covering over 22 lakh farmers, he said responding to PM’s comments that in Telangana, farmers are awaiting the (loan) waiver they were promised.
Women get free electricity, with no domestic power charge for their homes up to 200 units, Reddy noted.
The CM also claimed that his government has held the largest recruitment drive and is regularly holding exams of all levels and provided jobs to over 50,000 eligible youth, a record “unmatched by any BJP state government.”
The CM said the government is rejuvenating River Musi, which was allegedly neglected by the previous government and protecting lakes and other precious water bodies, encroached upon and destroyed wantonly with abandon in the last 10 years.
